Congressman Lee Terry

Nebraska Representative Discusses Cybersecurity Issues

Congressman Lee Terry discussed cybersecurity issues and his legislative philosophy during a visit to Bellevue University on Thursday, August 9, in the Criss Auditorium of the Hitchcock Humanities Center. The noon speech was co-sponsored by Bellevue University's Center for Cybersecurity Education and Center for Entrepreneurship and Market Capitalism.

"The specific issues of the day change, but the principles don't," Terry said. "I am a traditional pro-business, pro-economy conservative."

Terry, a Republican representing Nebraska's 2nd District, is the co-head of the bipartisan House Communications and Technology Cybersecurity Working Group.

"We're in a global economy and a global economy works through an internet backbone," Terry said. "Cyber is one of the most immediate threats to this economy. You can't talk to anyone in the Pentagon that doesn't say that this is one of their scariest, most frustrating, and top threats."

Bellevue University was recently designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security. The University offers Security Management degrees (both bachelor's and master's), as well as bachelor's and master's degrees in Cybersecurity and International Security and Intelligence.

Terry supports a bill that emerged out of the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill will allow open communication between government intelligence agencies and industries that may fall under cyberattack. A competing bill in the Senate would grant much of the oversight and administration of cybersecurity issues to the Department of Homeland Security.

Terry says such an arrangement will not be able to move quickly enough to thwart attacks.

"You need to be able to defend yourself instantaneously not two years later," he said.

Ron Woerner, the director for Bellevue University's Cybersecurity degrees, liked Terry's approach.

"It's great to see that we have leadership in Congress who are willing to step up and take a leadership role without feeling repressive to business," he said. "I love his ideas on how to improve awareness at all sizes and types of business. A lot of good ideas came out today."

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